In addition to today's Internet Marketing Monitor coverage, we felt these stories were worth pulling out of the multitude of news items for April 20, 2007:

  Your Slice of the web  [Official Google Blog]

What was once known as Google Search History is no more.  Upgraded, expanded, and renamed, Google relaunched the service as Web History yesterday afternoon.  Using the Google toolbar, Web History compiles organized collections of all the websites you visit… regardless of whether you searched them out in in Google or not.  See… it's basically your browser's History function… but Google-style (indexable, exploitable, and Google-controlled).  Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Land have more information.

  Performics President Responds to Speculation Over Google - Performics Dissolution Rumor  [pepperjamBlog]

Yesterday pepperjam published a story based on information from trusted sources that said Google was in the process of dissolving its newly acquired SEM firm, Performics.  The President of Performics sent pepperjam word that the information being tossed around was not true.  In fact, he said, Performics was in the process of hiring for a couple dozen positions!  To be honest… the rumors from yesterday made more sense.  What is Google going to do with an SEM firm?  Not even Google would do that… would they? 

  New SEO Tools: Robots.txt Builder, Term Targeting, & Crawl Test  [Search Engine Land]

Robots.txt Builder is pretty self-explanatory:  it helps you build a valid robots.txt file.  Using tabs broken up by robot type, Robots.txt Builder lets you block entire groups of robots, disallow directories, and even imports your site directory from Yahoo Site Explorer.  The Term Targeting tool analyzes a page and returns a list of terms and phrases that the site appears to be targeting.  The Crawl Test tool is designed to help diagnose crawling-related problems on your website.

  Google Facing FTC Privacy Complaint  [Marketing Pilgrim]

Not only are Microsoft, Yahoo, and AT&T irritated by Google's acquisition of DoubleClick, but apparently three privacy groups are said to be preparing to file a complaint with FTC in regard to the deal.  According to these groups, a combination of Google and DoubleClick's data will pose a security risk to Internet users.  Hmmm… ya don't say?  Since when has the potential for security risks stopped Google?

Have a great weekend, eveyone.  We'll see you back here on Monday!